Trees, the establishment, and our revolution -- The Yankee race horse, Truxtun, and finally Preble -- The beginning of the War of 1812 -- Victories on the high seas -- The war on the lakes and finale on the seas -- The slow advent of steam -- Mutiny? -- The gun and the ship -- Iron ships and shell guns -- The race between the ironclads -- Battles between ironclad ships; war in the inland waters and at sea -- The post-Civil War doldrums and the beginning of idealism -- The Spanish-American War -- Idealism and the reformers -- World War I to Pearl and Midway -- The armageddon at sea -- Epilogue: A few ideas about our postwar navy